


I Never Meant To Turn You Into This

by Jayenator565



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Angst, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Spies & Secret Agents, Torture, Yup you read that right
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 19:56:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17290394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jayenator565/pseuds/Jayenator565
Summary: Beaten, bruised and behind enemy lines Agent Griffin has one chance to try and broker peace between their people. Will the 'savage' Commander she's been told so much about be open to negotiating a truce? Or will something from Clarke's past hidden even to herself be the ultimate downfall of Arkadia?





	I Never Meant To Turn You Into This

**Author's Note:**

> Just a note I will do my best to mention and warn anyone appropriately in the notes if any mentions of things like torture or violence are going to be in a chapter.

Her ears were ringing. That was the first thing she registered. Ears ringing, head pounding. She could taste the blood in her mouth. It would have been fine if she felt the familiar infirmary cot she had spent her fair share of time in but this was different. For one, she was almost certain she was laying on the floor. For another, her arms were tied behind her back, her feet were bound, and there was some kind of cloth tied over her mouth.

 

Not back at the base. Most likely captured then. The plan must have failed. She could only pray that her team made it out without her. Trikru were not known for treating their prisoners kindly and now here she presumably was, caught in the proverbial lion’s den.

 

Her mom was going to be so upset, but at least she got to see her before she left. It was supposed to be a simple surveillance mission of new Trikru movement in the outer most villages on Arkadia’s border. They must have known they were coming. They were precise, efficient, and most of all stealthy. That’s why they had sent Clarke’s team. An easy surveillance op sure, but seeing as they were that close to potentially the most elite of Trikru’s combatants meant there was no room for error. And they hadn’t messed up, every order was followed to the letter, every ‘i’ dotted and ‘t’ crossed.

 

Yet here she was.

 

First thing’s first, identify your location. Withholding a whimper Clarke barely peaked open her left eye. She was lying right side down on a concrete floor. That much she could tell without her sight. What greeted her only confirmed it and heightened her fears. Sitting right in front of her was another young woman. Brunette hair mostly covered by some kind of wrap. Just a tattered vest thrown on over a torn shirt. The girl sat meekly in the corner, curled up, playing with a leaf.

 

Blue met green and the first thing Clarke wanted to ask was who she was, but of course, the covering over her mouth prevented that. The other girl wasn’t restrained but then why else would she be in here with Clarke unless she was a prisoner too? Or perhaps some kind of servant? Regardless, the tattoo on her right arm, while not traditional Trikru markings from what Clarke could see was enough to confirm this girl was at least a grounder.

 

Either way, they hadn’t stopped staring at each other since Clarke opened her eyes. If Clarke was going to get out of her she needed to find out sooner rather than later whether or not she was going to be a help or a hindrance.  As tired and pained as she was, she doubted she was going to get many chances to try and get out, or at least get some information.

 

She coughed and shook her head on the floor, scraping her cheek a bit as she struggled to pull down the cloth over her mouth using nothing but the friction she could create. Thankfully the other girl quickly shot up before she cut her cheek and removed the makeshift gag herself.

 

“Are you trying to hurt yourself?” the other girl asked her incredulously. One brow raised as if trying to assess the tied-up agent.

 

“Sorry, I don’t really like being restrained.” she snapped back.

 

The other girl relaxed a bit yet she kept her body pointed a bit away and her arms crossed, body language not really giving away anything other than the fact that she was uncomfortable. Clarke cleared her throat, feeling how dry it was just from that one sentence, “Sorry, I’m- I’m just a bit upset and anxious. I didn’t mean to answer like that.”

 

Clarke sighed, using her knees, abdominals and the wall at her back to kneel and ease herself up a bit, “What’s your name?”

 

The girl had tensed at her sudden movements but seemed to calm again, “Lexa,” she eyed the agent warily but did not seem outright hostile.

 

“Lexa?,” she allowed it to swirl in her thoughts as she tried to piece together some kind of plan, she didn’t know enough yet to do much though, “My name is Clarke...do you know- did your Commander have me locked in here? Do you know where here is?”

 

The girl looked her over slowly, wondering if she could trust her maybe before replying, “We’re in Polis.”

 

Clarke could feel her pulse speed up in time with her racing heart as her eyes widened. Polis. The grounder capital. Smack in the middle of their territory. No agent had ever made it this far.

 

She had two options, die like every other agent that attempted to infiltrate the grounders or live and come out with secrets her people may need to finally end this war. In the end, there was only one option that she knew she had to go for.

 

She was abruptly pulled out of her thoughts by Lexa’s next statement, “You _are_ an Arkadian...aren’t you?”

 

Clarke’s head snapped up, but Lexa hadn’t revealed any hidden weapons or gone to yell for help. Her body language wasn’t ready for a fight at least.

 

“Yeah, I am. And you’re what, Trikru?”

 

Lexa only nodded never once taking her eyes off the agent.

 

“Why would they lock you up in here with me?” Clarke muttered under her breath, Lexa’s eyes shot towards the action but Clarke just shook her head,  “just wondering how I’m going to get out of here.”

 

Lexa scoffed at her arrogance, “You hope to escape from the home of the Commander? You must have hit your head.”

 

Clarke’s tensed jaw was the only sign betraying her anger at that, she knew just how impossible it would probably be. Doesn’t mean she wasn’t going to try anyway.

 

“Concussion or not, I need to get back to my people before your Commander decides to attack us again.”

 

Lexa raised one unamused brow, “Our Commander would not have to attack if you Arkadians did not antagonize our lesser villages in your greed to attain more wealth and land.”

 

The agent rolled her eyes at that, “Oh please, don’t act like we’re somehow the bad guys. Trikru have done nothing but attack us. We're just defending ourselves, but it can be difficult when even your so-called civilians are war ready combatants.”

 

“You mean the same civilians your people sent an assassin to kill? Eighteen dead elders and children, tell me Clarke were they what you would call war ready combatants? The Commander will retaliate Clarke.”

 

Clarke huffed in outrage, “My people would never send an assassin to kill innocents!”

 

“The commander was shown proof by the few that remained alive despite the numerous gunshot wounds. Our medics removed your bullets from their bodies. I’m sure you know that only your Ark has access to the specific tech found in your guns. Your bullets are unique. How would we have duplicated them?”

 

“No, no my people would never, our _Chancellor_ would not order something like that,” Shaking her head Clarke tried her best to pull on her arm restraints but only ended up grunting in pain.

 

“Those restraints are lined with a malleable metal. Bendable but unbreakable. You will not be escaping those without the key.”

 

Sure enough, Clarke twisted her head around to find a lock resting just below her hairline that was connected to the roped around her lower legs and her forearms. Already she could feel bruising from where they were just a tad too tight. It didn’t matter. Options one and two were thrown out the window. The Commander had to see reason or there would be a full blown army at Arkadia’s doorstep for something they didn’t do.

 

“Look, I don’t care what your Commander thinks they know about any assassin but I know the Chancellor, there’s no way he would order something like that. It must have been someone gone rogue or something. That’s not what Arkadia trains us to do,” Clarke pleaded, asking the young woman to believe her. She could never imagine Thelonious, the father of her best friend, ordering anyone to do such a thing.

 

“The survivors confirmed that the assassin used a comm link like most of your agents do and that they could hear your Chancellor’s voice on the other end confirming the mission was complete.”

 

No, Clarke thought, that was the only thing repeating in her mind. Thelonious wouldn’t do something like that. He’d need the Council’s permission. Her mom would not approve of a mission like that.

 

“Maybe the orders were confused, maybe they attacked the wrong village somehow I don’t know but you have to believe me. We were never told of any order like that. You have to believe me! I need to speak with the Commander before its too late!”

 

Her objective had suddenly changed. While escape would be her best bet for survival if she could speak with this Commander, convince them there was some mistake, maybe she could spare just a few more of her people’s lives.

 

No one knew what they looked like. Arkadia’s records were scarce besides the fact that whoever it was had to be a master tactician and extremely cunning to get so many to listen to their orders. In size, the grounders were estimated to outnumber the Ark agents ten to one. Only their more advanced technology and weaponry gave them an advantage, and after forming an alliance with Azgeda they were as close to beating the Commander as they had ever been...But if they moved on Arkadia when they were unprepared with the full force of their army, and with Azgeda’s forces at least a day away, her people would be decimated before backup arrived.

 

 “Please, evidence can be faked or maybe confused. I don’t know but we had nothing to do with this.”

 

Lexa’s glance at her was pitying before she finally moved her gaze away to the floor, “It doesn’t matter. The Commander thinks you did. Blood must have blood. The relatives of those who died and those that survived demand justice Clarke. That is their right. That is our way.”

 

“If I could just escape and speak with the Commander, if you help me-”

 

“If you were to find a way to escape and make it all the way to the Commander they would simply slit your throat and those of anyone that helped you. To be able to manipulate your way out of this cell and past her royal guards? You would be too much of a threat to let live.”

 

Clarke could almost feel her hands shaking in panic but willed it away as best she could, “I’m just trying to save lives, Lexa. All I’ve ever fought for was peace...please.”

 

It was then that she noticed it. A faint but constant groaning noise. It sounded almost familiar.

 

The groaning sounded louder now. Closer. Then she could make out the footsteps before the door to her cell opened, “Murphy?”

 

Her Lieutenant’s bloody grimace greeted her in return, “How’s it hanging Griff? No worries it’s only you and me.”

 

That helped put her at ease that at least the rest of the team made it out safely.

 

“What did they do to you?” She turned all her anger on the burly man and sleek woman that had followed Murphy into the room. As much as she wanted to get to her feet, the ropes were making that impossible.

 

“Relax sky girl.” The man grunted with a sneer thrown in. That was the kind of behavior she had come to expect when confronted with a grounder. Lexa’s rather calm approach was a rarity.

 

“Relax? When you’ve obviously tortured him!?”

 

“As if we’d dirty our hands with a worthless sky grunt,” the woman responded condescendingly.

 

“Actually Griff,” Murphy cut in before she could retort, “this one is on us. You know how Jasper gets, he uh fumbled with the concussive grenade, flung me face first into a brick wall. Really it’s worse than it looks.”

 

She doubted that seeing as how he flinched every time he took a breath and if the groaning was anything to go by he was in pain.

 

“Murph... “ she trailed off clearly worried about her comrade

 

The man set Murphy beside her and pushed down until he was also on his knees before asking, “Anything else Heda?”

 

Clarke’s head snapped up from where she was examining Murphy to the man and then the woman shadowing him. Heda? The trig word for their Commander, of course, she recognized it instantly, as did Murphy. Was that woman their leader?

 

“No Quint.” She heard the words but rather than come from the woman they came from the very girl she was sharing a cell with. Or at least she thought.

 

“I’ve seen enough for now.”

 

“Lexa-”

 

The man moved towards her with an almost sadistic gleam in his eyes, “That’s Commander to you sky trash!” Quint moved as if to kick her and bound as she was Clarke had no way to protect herself. Lexa stepped in then, holding up a single hand, palm forward, to call him off.

 

“Em pleni.”

 

Clarke was shocked to think the leader of so many people was maybe three or so years older than her. Was this really the bloodthirsty warmonger Commander they had been told to fear? Or was this another ploy? She tried to work it out best she could even as Lexa turned her now much more guarded eyes towards her.

 

“Well Clarke, you wanted to speak with the Commander, this is your chance.”

 

The turn of events while shocking for the blonde, it was the hand she was dealt.

 

“Let Murphy go-”

 

“Disha branwada dares-” Lexa’s glare silenced Quint in seconds.

 

“Let her speak. Continue, Clarke.”

 

She was very tempted to employ her usual snark but she had no idea how the grounders in front of her would react. She picked her words carefully, “I just mean, Murphy- he’s a low-level grunt compared to me. The Chancellor basically helped raise me after my father died and my mother is on our council.”

 

Her voice turned pleading, “I talked to you plainly, not knowing you were an enemy. If you believe nothing else believe that I want what’s best for my people and right now that means peace. We can broker that peace together. If you keep me and give up Murphy as a show of good faith, maybe we can organize a meeting between you and the Chancellor. Clear the air, starting with the slaughter in your village. If there was ever a chance for peace Commander, then I assure you that I am it.”

 

Lexa was silent for a long few moments. Long enough that Clarke started thinking it was all a cruel trick. Maybe Lexa just wanted to see her grovel before she’d find a dagger struck through her heart. The entire time Lexa stared at her and Clarke stared right back saying everything she couldn’t with her eyes. This was their one shot.

 

“...I will contemplate your request, Clarke.”

 

The breath that left as Clarke unclenched her shoulders could not have been more relieved. Murphy let out a grateful huff too from beside her until they both caught the look on Quint’s face. He looked absolutely murderous.

 

“Heda, you can’t seriously believe anything these scum have to say?”

 

“The matter at hand is not whether I believe her Quint, it’s whether I think a treaty of some kind would actually be of any benefit when I know we can wipe them out instead.”

 

Clarke tried to hide the fear in her gaze but Murphy wasn’t as quick.

 

“As I said, I will think on it. Quint remain on guard, Anya we have the meeting soon.”

 

Two sets of “Sha, Heda.” echoed briefly until Lexa made her leave through their only exit available.

**Author's Note:**

> Bear with me here, this was harder than I thought it was going to be to write. Mainly because I haven't written angst in like 2 years give or take but once I got a groove it kinda worked out and became longer than planned XD this'll be at least 3 chapters. I hope you like it @alwaysaslutforlexa on tumblr. Sorry it's so late I felt like crap these past few days but happy Secret Santa!


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